SkinVance + Zinc™ has been designed to assist in optimising skin health by combatting the effects of insulin resistance, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and hormonal change and imbalance on the skin. These include hormonal acne, skin hyperpigmentation and excess hair.

SkinVance + Zinc™ contains a unique blend of vitamins and minerals that work together to improve insulin metabolism and hormonal balance in the skin and body, thereby improving skin health. These are:

Inositol, a naturally occurring nutrient which exists in two forms: myo (MI) and D-chiro-inositol (DCI). Problems in the balance between these results in reduced insulin sensitivity and imbalanced hormones. Clinical studies have shown that inositol is able to markedly improve acne in both young patients and adults, largely through helping to restore hormonal imbalance and reducing the activity of oil glands in the skin.

Folate and B vitamins. SkinVance + Zinc™ contains L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), the natural form of folate, which has better absorption and efficacy than folic acid. Acne has been associated with elevated levels of homocysteine (Hcy), a molecule which needs folate and B-vitamins to be detoxified. High levels of homocysteine can cause a variety of diseases, including heart and neurological conditions. Isotretinoin, a common drug used for acne treatment, is also associated with elevated homocysteine levels and reductions in serum folate and vitamin B12. Supplementation with folic acid and vitamin B12 may be effective for preventing elevated homocysteine in acne patients.

Choline, a vital nutrient required for healthy skin through maintaining cell membranes. It does this through ensuring the lipid, or fatty, portions of membrane are intact and working correctly.

Vitamin A is required for the development of skin, and vitamin A receptors are found in the oil (sebum) glands. In acne, vitamin A levels are inversely correlated with severity of acne, meaning that as acne gets worse, vitamin A levels get lower. Retinoids (the active form of vitamin A) suppress formation of acne through decreasing oil production and secretion. This prevents oil glands and skin cells from being colonised by acnes – the bacteria responsible for inflammatory acne.

Vitamin C is important to general health as well as health of the skin. Normal skin contains high concentrations of vitamin C, and deficiency causes skin fragility and reduced elasticity. The vitamin is also important in protection against UV-induced damage, and free radicals and oxidants, and is therefore important to long-term skin health.

Vitamin D. Acne sufferers appear to have lower levels of vitamin D, associated with the severity of acne. Supplementation has proven to result in improvement of acne inflammation, likely through vitamin D’s antioxidant and properties, reducing oiliness and regulating the growth of cells responsible for acne formation and immune regulation, which leads to anti-inflammatory effects and lessens acnes’ ability to cause inflammation.

Iodine is required for synthesis of thyroid hormones, which are able to affect skin health. Low thyroid hormone levels are often associated with dry, flaky skin. Iodine is therefore able to regulate skin moisture, promote skin repair and improve elasticity.

Iron deficiency is associated with dry skin, and may therefore be essential to ensuring skin is adequately moisturised.

Magnesium plays a role in preventing acne, improving collagen and reducing skin dryness. It may also serve to aid in correcting insulin associated hormone imbalance, and as a result, hormonal acne.

Selenium is lower in patients suffering from acne, and improves acne in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome patients. The molecule also displays protective effects against UV damage to skin, and also has widespread positive effects on insulin metabolism throughout the body.

Zinc is essential for the development and functioning of the human skin and plays a role in a number of cosmetic disorders. It was first used for acne in the 1970’s, and since then supplementation has been demonstrated to reduce inflammation and various different types of acne. These effects are largely related to immune-regulating roles of zinc through its well-described anti-inflammatory effects and directly inhibiting growth of acnes, as well as suppressing oil gland activity.

SkinVance + Zinc™ can be used by anyone who is experiencing poor skin health as a result of hormonal imbalance or change (during teen years or menopause), poor blood sugar control or some combination of the two. SkinVance + Zinc™ is ideal for those who are trying to improve their skin quality, as well as as an assistive therapy to active medical treatment for acne.

You should not take SkinVance + Zinc™ if you are hypersensitive or allergic to any of the active or inactive ingredients of SkinVance + Zinc™. Using any supplements or medications while pregnant should be according to the advice of your doctor.

The ingredients contained in SkinVance + Zinc™ generally have low side-effect profiles even when used for extended periods. Side-effects are unlikely to be experienced at the dosages provided by SkinVance + Zinc™. For large doses of the individual ingredients, side-effects are mostly of a gastrointestinal nature, including abdominal discomfort or nausea. To reduce the chance of side effects, it is recommended that SkinVance + Zinc™ is taken with meals.

Yes, SkinVance + Zinc™ may be taken with most prescription drugs, including oral contraceptives and diabetic drugs such as metformin. Caution, however, must be taken with anti-diabetic medication, as the blood sugar-lowering effect of SkinVance + Zinc™ may enhance their action and leave you with symptoms of low blood sugar. Caution must also be taken when used with blood thinners such warfarin. It is always important to inform your doctor of what supplements you are taking, especially if you are already being treated for another condition.

Inositol is a naturally occurring vitamin B-like nutrient. Of its nine stereoisomers, myo-inositol (MI) and D-chiro-inositol (DCI) are the most abundant in tissues. Both are important to health, and act in fertility, reproductive and metabolic related hormone signalling, including insulin, gonadotropin, thyroid and androgen pathways.

Acne vulgaris typically occurs in teenage years due to a surge of androgen activity during puberty, while persistent, severe or late onset in women is suggestive of androgen imbalance.

Androgens, such as androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), enhance sebum production from sebaceous glands and cause abnormal epithelial cell desquamation, both of which contribute to the development of comedones. These can then become colonised by the bacterium Propionibacterium acnes, the major cause of papules and pustules typical of acne vulgaris.

Inositol supplementation has been proven a simple and safe treatment able to ameliorate the metabolic and hormonal irregularity in patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Indeed, marked improvements in acne have been observed in both young patients and adults. This stems largely from the reduction in serum androgens and activity of sebaceous glands, and may be expected to produce similar results in other cases of hormonal acne associated with androgen excess but not necessarily Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Folate and B vitamins

Folate, as well as Vitamin B6 and B12, are involved in numerous aspects of cellular function and general health. Due to the wide ranging roles of these vitamins in metabolism, deficiency can have substantial effects.

Acne has been associated with elevated levels of homocysteine (Hcy), an amino acid, in combination with lower levels of folate and vitamin B12. This is significant as hyperhomocysteinemia is linked with a variety of systemic diseases, including cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and neuropsychiatric conditions. Hcy is normally recycled into methionine, requiring folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. The requirement for vitamin B6, folic acid, and vitamin B12 in acne patients may therefore be increased.

Additionally, isotretinoin, a common drug used for acne treatment, has been associated with elevated Hcy levels and reductions in serum folate and vitamin B12. Supplementation with folic acid and vitamin B12 may be effective for preventing elevated Hcy in acne patients on Iso therapy, thereby reducing risks for cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric disorders in patients taking isotretinoin.

SkinVance™ contains 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), the natural form of folate, as opposed to folic acid, a synthetic form that is most often found in fortified foods and supplements. Despite the widespread success of folic acid supplementation in improving health, it is believed that 5-MHTF offers a number of benefits, including better bioavailability through more rapid absorption and reduced chance of side effects.

Choline

Choline is vital in optimal liver, neurological, musculoskeletal and cellular membrane function. While hepatic synthesis of choline does occur, the majority is obtained from animal derived foods. Vegetarians and vegans are therefore especially susceptible to choline deficiency, while a large proportion of the general population exhibits some level of choline insufficiency.

Choline deficiency can lead to a number of pathologies, including fatty liver disease, muscle damage, decreased cognitive function, cancer and homocysteinaemia. It is also required for healthy skin through its roles in maintaining the lipid portions of cell membranes.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a nutrient essential to normal growth, especially during foetal, neonatal and childhood development. The vitamin is well-known to be crucial for ocular integrity and development, but also has roles in the skeleton, immune system, teeth, hair and mucous membranes. Importantly, vitamin A is required for the integrity and differentiation of skin, and vitamin A receptors are found in the epidermis, particularly in the sebaceous glands.

In acne, vitamin A levels appear to be significantly lower, and are also inversely correlated with severity of acne. Indeed, retinoids suppress comedogenesis via epidermal cell differentiation and keratin production, and through inhibitory effects on sebaceous gland activity and reduced sebum secretion. Consequently, P. acnes population and inflammatory acne is reduced. Improvements in acne with oral vitamin A have been noted and major drug based treatments are based on synthetic retinoic acids, such as isotretinoin.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is required for the repair of tissue, synthesis of neurotransmitters, optimal immune system function and redox homeostasis. Deficiency can lead to problems with collagen synthesis, amino acid metabolism and many other essential functions. The vitamin is therefore important to general health as well as the health of the skin.

Normal skin contains high concentrations of vitamin C, well above plasma concentrations, suggesting active accumulation from the circulation. The vitamin C deficiency disease scurvy is characterised by skin fragility, and the vitamin is vital for maintaining normal functioning and elasticity of the skin during collagen synthesis and keratinocyte differentiation. The molecule is also important in protection against UV-induced damage, and free radicals and oxidants. Vitamin C is therefore important to long-term skin health.

Vitamin D

The vitamin D’s are a group of fat-soluble steroid vitamins. Vitamin D has wide ranging effects on general health, from participating in immune function to cardiovascular and skeletal viability.

Current research has suggested a connection between vitamin D and acne. In general, acne sufferers appear to have lower levels than controls, and levels are inversely associated with the severity of acne and inflammatory lesions. In support of the above observations, supplementation has proven to result in improvement of acne inflammation.

Part of this correlation can be explained by vitamin D’s antioxidant and anti-comedogenic properties. Deficiency may result in comedogenesis and the exacerbation of inflammation. The vitamin is also involved in reducing lipogenesis and the triglyceride content of sebum. Furthermore, vitamin D regulates proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes and sebocytes. Sebocytes and keratinocytes express nuclear vitamin D receptors and metabolizing enzymes, and adequate levels lead to reduced sebocyte proliferation, differentiation and sebum secretion.

Within sebocytes, the vitamin is also directly involved in immune regulation, which supports the possible anti-inflammatory effects of vitamin D and affects the pathogenesis of P. acnes. Inflammation resulting from the immune response targeting the bacteria has a significant role in acne pathogenesis, and vitamin D is able to reduce this, as well as prevent growth of the bacterium.

Iodine

Iodine is primarily required for synthesis of thyroid hormones, which, among many other bodily functions, are able to affect skin health. Indeed, low thyroid hormone levels are often associated with dry, flaky skin. Iodine, and its necessity to maintain adequate thyroid hormone levels, is therefore able to regulate skin moisture, promote skin repair and improve elasticity.

Iron

Iron is a trace metal which plays a key role in oxygen transport and energy production, as well as growth and development. Iron deficiency has been associated with dry skin, and may therefore be essential to ensuring skin is adequately moisturised.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a trace element involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions. Suboptimal magnesium levels or deficiency is associated with a number of disorders. In skin, magnesium deficiency leads to lower fatty acid levels, causing dryness. It also plays a role in preventing acne and improving collagen. Through its positive metabolic hormone effects, it may also serve to aid in correcting insulin associated androgen imbalances, and as a result, hormonal acne.

Selenium

Selenium, another trace element, plays a major role in facilitating immunity and redox processes, as well as playing a role in MetS and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, exhibiting insulin sensitization properties, an inverse relationships between selenium status and androgenic hormone levels, and an ability to attenuate dyslipidaemia. In specific, selenium has been observed to be both lower in patients suffering from acne, as well as to improve acne in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome patients upon supplementation. The molecule also displays protective effects against UV radiation-induced damage to skin.

Zinc

Zinc is an essential mineral required for normal health and acts as a cofactor in hundreds of enzymatic reactions. Approximately 6% of the zinc in the human body is localized in the skin, and dermal concentrations are higher than those in the rest of the body. Not surprisingly, therefore, zinc is essential for the development and functioning of the human skin and plays a role in a number of cosmetic disorders.

The utility of the mineral in acne was first recognized in the 1970s, and research has continued to corroborate this observation. Indeed, low zinc levels have been associated with acne presence and increasing severity, whilst supplementation has shown a number of benefits. These especially include reduced acne associated inflammation, inflammatory lesions, papules and pustules, and lesser effects on comedones. A number of clinical trials have also shown promise, and the research overall suggests that zinc is effective in treating acne vulgaris.

Mechanisms of action are largely related to immunoregulatory roles of zinc through its well-described anti-inflammatory effects and directly inhibiting proliferation of P. acnes. Furthermore, zinc and acne may be linked through its roles in synthesis of retinol binding protein and ability to inhibit enzymes responsible for production of dihydrotestosterone, thereby suppressing sebaceous gland activity.